Crystal
by Kazza
Summary: Just after the events in GoF, Percy and Penelope suddenly eloped and fled England. Two and half years later, Penelope is dead and Percy returns to The Burrow. Why did they run? How will Percy’s family react to his return? COMPLETE
1. Default Chapter

Crystal by Kazza  
  
Rating: PG-13  
Angst, Soppiness, Percy, Weasleys  
Setting: Two and a half years after the events in GoF  
Spoilers: All 4 books.  
  
Author's Note: This is a very soppy story with excessive Weasley family drama and ladles full of soppy angst and occasional cuteness. You have been warned. :)   
  
Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.  
  
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Crystal  
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Part One  
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The Knight Bus screeched to a halt on the dark country laneway.  
  
"Here you are, sir and ma'am, The Burrow." The female conductor smiled cheerfully at the red headed man. "Good to be seeing you back here, Mr Weasley."  
  
Percy watched his meagre luggage thump onto the ground.  
  
"Thank you," he said hoarsely. The conductor nodded and closed the bus's ancient door. Percy watched the Knight Bus rumble away then stared around at the shadowy landscape.   
  
'Is it good to be back?' he wondered as his mind compared the familiar shadows with his memories of home. Everything looked familiar and yet somehow it was all completely different from the home he'd left so long ago.  
  
The house was dark. Either his family hadn't received his owl, reasoned Percy, or they hadn't bothered to wait up for him to arrive. He had hoped they would be slightly happy to see him but obviously that wasn't to be the case.  
  
Crystal's head lolled against Percy's shoulder, breaking into his thoughts. Percy hefted her sleeping form in his arms. He couldn't blame her for sleeping. He was tired too. It had been so long since he'd had a decent night's sleep. He could only remember being more tired once in his life and he didn't want to think about that horrible time at the moment.  
  
Percy stared down at his luggage and sighed. He didn't have the energy to carry both it and Crystal. The luggage would just have to stay where it lay for the night. Perhaps the gnomes that ran riot in The Burrow's gardens might not have totally destroyed it come morning.  
  
"Need a hand?" said a familiar voice.  
  
Percy's shoulders twitched at the shock of hearing a voice in the dark, seemingly empty laneway, the movement made Crystal moan in her sleep. Charlie Weasley stepped out of the shadows.  
  
"Hi Perce." Charlie's gaze took in his brother's too thin body, the patched robes and the haggard exhaustion in the younger man's stance.  
  
Percy nodded a greeting. It was all he could manage at that moment without embarrassing himself.  
  
"I'll take the luggage, shall I?" Charlie said in the calm, gentle tones he reserved for skittish dragons.  
  
Percy nodded again and hefted Crystal a bit higher in his arms. "What," he said hoarsely, then cleared his throat, "what are you doing here?"  
  
"Dumbledore contact me. Said you were coming home." Charlie picked up a bag and looped the long rope tied to the handle over one of his broad shoulders. "You didn't think I miss it?" Charlie reached for the second bag and picked it up.  
  
"Merlin's Beard! What you got in this, Perce? Quaffles?"  
  
"Books mainly." Percy said quietly.  
  
"Why isn't that a surprise," muttered Charlie as he charmed the bag and floated it down the lane. "Oh, by the way," he added, "no one else knows yet that you're coming home."  
  
"But I owled."  
  
"I intercepted your letter." Charlie stopped the floating bag and turned to face his brother. "Perce, you know how overexcited we Weasley's get. Well, Bill and George are home. They'll be enough to start with. Besides," Charlie grinned, "I think you could use a nap before you face Mum."  
  
Percy nodded again and concentrated on making his tired body walk the length of the meandering path.  
  
The brothers walked slowly towards the house; Charlie watching Percy's unsteady steps. Charlie's mind was filled with thoughts about his younger brother. When had Percy got so frail? When Charlie had last seen Percy, six months earlier in Hamburg, Percy had been lean and fit. Now it looked to Charlie like Percy had the weight of the world on his back and hadn't eaten or slept in a month.   
  
It seemed like a lifetime since that Percy had left Hogwarts, yet Charlie knew it was barely more than three and a half years since Percy had leapt headfirst into a job at the Ministry of Magic. A job that Percy had, uncharacteristically, abandoned only a year later when he'd eloped with Penelope Clearwater and fled England. Sadly, their marriage had been brief - the Death Eaters who had vowed to kill all the Clearwaters and had killed Penelope's parents, had left Percy a widower a year later.  
  
It was only now that the Death Eaters concerned were dead and Voldemort was busy elsewhere that Percy was free to return home. Charlie hoped Percy was strong enough to cope with this homecoming. The Dragon Trainer turned Courier barely recognised the bearded, ragged man as his spit-and-polish neat brother.  
  
Charlie stared at Percy in the questioning way that Percy had always hated. After a few moments the stare began to bother Percy.  
  
"What is it Charles?" Percy asked peevishly. He watched as a broad grin spread across Charlie's face.  
  
"There you are." Charlie's smile grew even wider. "Good to have you back, Perce."  
  
To be continued 


	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.  
  
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Crystal  
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Part Two  
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The teacup hit the kitchen floor and shattered, splashing sugary tea and pieces of cheap china across Arthur Weasley's slippered feet.  
  
"Not another one," Molly turned from the stove where she was cooking breakfast. She was about to berate her husband for breaking the second last of her favourite teacups when she saw the expression on his face. "Arthur, dear, what is it?"  
  
Arthur Weasley appeared to be in shock. He was staring intently at something on the wall. Molly walked over to her husband and followed the direction of his gaze with her own. Why was Arthur was staring at the clock?  
  
"Arthur?" Molly asked quietly. She gave her husband's arm a gentle shake. He looked down at her and Molly could see the tears in his eyes. He grabbed her hand tightly and looked back at the clock.  
  
Molly looked at the clock, deliberately avoiding the hand labelled 'Fred' which was pointing at the words 'in God's care'. For a moment she couldn't see what was wrong. Ron and Ginny were at school and everyone else was 'at home'. There were no hands pointing to 'lost', 'in trouble', 'travelling', 'at work', or 'don't ask'. Then it struck her, everyone else's clock hands including Percy's were pointing to 'at home'!  
  
"Percy!" Molly yelled. She let go of Arthur's hand and trotted towards the stairs. She was halfway to Percy's room when Charlie ran out of his room and grabbed hold of her.  
  
"No, Mum," Charlie grabbed his mother in a hug.   
  
Molly tried to push Charlie's arms away and get past him. "I've got to see Percy," she said tearfully.  
  
"Mum, listen to me. Percy came home late last night and he's dead tired from travelling." Charlie looked into his mother's eyes. "You know how grumpy he is when he's tired. Give him a bit of time, OK?"  
  
"He's home? He's all right?" Molly sobbed while she allowed Charlie to lead her back down the stairs.  
  
"Yes, he's home, Mum and he will be all right," Charlie replied, "eventually."  
  
When they reached the kitchen, Molly and Charlie found that Bill and George had obviously finished the few chores that Molly had asked them to do before breakfast. Bill and Arthur were talking quietly in front of the clock while George looked on.  
  
"Percy's back! Isn't it wonderful!" Molly walked over to her husband and smiled up at him. Arthur nodded. While this was happening, Bill noticed breakfast burning on the stove and walked past his family to rescue the pot and his mother's wand.  
  
"Decided to show his face here, has he?" snarled George.  
  
"You sound more like Snape each day," Bill replied angrily. "Percy's your brother, for Merlin's sake!"  
  
"Really? Then where was he when the Death Eaters got Fred?" George replied equally fiercely. "Hiding like the coward he is. That's where!"  
  
"George! Please!" Molly said tearfully.   
  
"Stop it!" Arthur said firmly. "I've already lost one son. I refuse to lose another or see this family torn apart. Regardless of what's happened in the past we will welcome Percy into this home just as we would welcome you George no matter what you did or may do."  
  
George blinked at the rare outburst from his father and moved to meekly sit at the table.  
  
"George," said Charlie quietly, "Percy may be many things but he's not a coward. I think he might be just about the bravest person I know."  
  
"I would not wager on that, Charles," said Percy from the doorway. "Do you know, I forgot how noisy this place can be?"  
  
Whatever Percy had planned to say next was smothered by Bill who had strode quickly up to Percy and pulled him into a bone-crushing hug. Soon all the Weasleys, even George, were sharing a group hug.  
  
After a few minutes they stepped apart and moved towards the table, the Weasley men all pretending that they didn't have tears in their eyes.  
  
"I better go and get..." began Percy and he started towards the door.  
  
"I'll check on Crystal," said Charlie gruffly. "You have your breakfast."  
  
"Yes, you need it, dear," said Molly firmly, she took hold of Percy's arm and led him back to the kitchen table.   
  
'Whoever this Crystal person was,' thought Molly, 'she obviously hasn't taken good care of my Percy. He's all skin and bone. Well,' she thought as she hunted in the cupboard for another teacup, 'this Crystal can come downstairs and eat like a civilised person with the rest of us. And then I'll give her a what for.'  
  
"Crystal?" said George. "Who's she? Some girl you picked up on your travels?"  
  
"You sly dog," chuckled Bill.  
  
Percy bristled at his brothers' words but before he could answer Charlie spoke.  
  
"Oh yeah, she's a real heartbreaker." Charlie's eyes twinkled and he winked at Percy. Percy thought of all the tricks his brothers had played on him over the years. Maybe it was his turn to get a little of his own back, besides he was too tired to argue with Charlie. So Percy bit back a smile and said nothing.  
  
Charlie grabbed a piece of buttered toast off the table headed upstairs. Soon he was quietly opening the door to Percy's room. He stuck his head around the door and discovered that Crystal was awake.  
  
"Hello Crystal," Charlie said quietly to the little girl. She was sitting quietly in the old cot Charlie had found at the back of the garage and apparated into Percy's room the day before. "Remember me? I'm your Uncle Charlie." He gave Crystal the toast. Crystal inspected the toast carefully, in a very Percy-like way, before she began to eat it.  
  
"You, me and your Dad are going to have fun today." Charlie leant over and picked up the toddler with the expert skill of a man who had helped raise five younger siblings. "Yep, lots of fun. What do you think about that?"  
  
The little girl nibbled her toast and smiled shyly at Charlie.  
  
"And maybe," added Charlie, "you and me just might get your Dad and your Uncle George to laugh again. Won't that be fun?"  
  
To be continued 


	3. Part 3

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.  
  
Author's note: Thanks to everyone for all the encouragement.   
This part comes with an industrial strength 'cutesy' warning. :)  
  
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Crystal  
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Part Three  
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Percy sat back into the well-worn, over-stuffed sofa and let his family's chatter wash over him. The warmth in the room and the food in his stomach were making him drowsy. It felt strange to relax like this while Bill and his mother told him about the latest drama that Ginny had got herself involved in at Hogwarts. The tales of schoolgirl fights over who would be Harry Potter's date to the Halloween Party were so far from Percy's recent problems that he felt like he was having surreal daydream.   
  
What if this was all a dream? Would he wake up and discover himself back in the dank city squat in Amsterdam with Muggle policemen or social workers trying to break the door down and take Crystal away? Or maybe he would wake in the run-down abandoned cabin in a French forest, where the two of them had hidden for months from the Death Eaters?  
  
Percy shuddered as the thought of the Death Eaters brought the memory of Penelope's death back to the surface of his mind. He tried to push the terrible images away and concentrate on his mother's chatter.  
  
Arthur, who was sitting in his favourite armchair and directly opposite Percy, watched the emotions flickering across his third son's eyes. It was almost like looking out a window at a storm; Arthur could see so much yet the full intensity of the storm was muted by an invisible barrier. Arthur sighed inwardly at the sight of so much pain and, yet again, silently swore at Voldemort for what he and his followers had done to the Weasley family.  
  
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Crystal gave a little squeal and toddled as quickly as she could towards Charlie. The gnome who was chasing the little girl cackled and ran faster.  
  
"Oh no you don't," Charlie grabbed the gnome by an arm and swung it around his head. He let go of the gnome and it flew over the fence where it landed near three other gnomes who had made the same trip earlier.  
  
Crystal peeked out from behind Charlie's leg and watched the gnome fly out of sight. She stood still for a moment then looked up at Charlie and held out her arms.   
  
"That's enough gnome fun for today, is it?" Charlie picked up his niece and carried her towards the house. "OK. Let's go find your Dad."  
  
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Back in the parlour, Molly was telling another story, with added commentary from George, this time about Ron. Percy was blinking tiredly and nodding slightly.  
  
"Hey, Percy," Bill said cheerfully from the other end of the sofa. "Mum's stories aren't that bad."  
  
"Sorry, Mother." Percy smothered a yawn with his hand. "It's just so comfortable here."  
  
"You're far gone if you think this sofa's comfy," Bill quipped, the concerned look in his eyes belying his humour.  
  
Percy was about to reply when Charlie's voice echoed out of the kitchen.  
  
"Look out, Perce. Escapee headed your way."  
  
Percy looked towards the doorway and smiled. The angle of the sofa meant that only Arthur and Percy could see the bottom of the doorway. Arthur sat perfectly still, watching the little figure enter the room and make a beeline for Percy. A gentle smile broke across Arthur's face as the final piece of the puzzle surrounding Percy clicked into place in his mind.  
  
Molly had ignored Charlie's comment as a bit of silliness and returned to her story. Almost instantly she noticed that Arthur and Percy were ignoring her.  
  
"What are you looking at, Arthur dear?" asked Molly in a peevish tone. She looked towards the end of the sofa and noticed a book seemingly floating in the air.  
  
"Charles Weasley," she called, "have you been enchanting my cookbooks again?"  
  
"Nope," said Charlie who walked into the doorway. "Nothing to do with me." He stood there and watched his family. This was a moment he wanted to see.  
  
Molly, Bill and George watched the book slide onto the arm of the sofa. Percy pulled the picture book safely onto the sofa arm and smiled down at his daughter. Still out of the line of sight of Molly, Bill and George, Crystal turned and gave her grandfather a beaming smile before toddling around the end of the sofa. Arthur nodded back at her.  
  
Bill was about to say something about gnomes loose in the house when the words died in his throat. A little dark-haired child had toddled past Percy and was clambering up onto the sofa beside him. She turned and gave Bill a very familiar, appraising look before climbing into Percy's lap and reaching for the book.  
  
"Did Uncle Charlie give you that book, Crystal?" Percy asked his daughter in a conversational tone, as though his family being struck dumb at the sight of a twenty-month old child was an everyday event.  
  
Crystal nodded and tried to open the picture book. Percy started to help her but the little girl whined and Percy said, "All right. You want to do it yourself."  
  
All the Weasleys stared silently at the little girl while she opened the book and began looking at the pictures. After a few moments, Crystal noticed that all the grown ups were watching at her. She dropped the book and, overcome with shyness, pressed her face against Percy's chest.  
  
"You know Crystal," said Charlie as he walked into the room, "this is the first time in years that I heard a pin drop in this house."  
  
"Charles!" Molly said sternly. It was the only thing she could think to say. George was sitting open mouthed, still staring at his niece.  
  
"Percy," said Arthur quietly, "is there something you neglected to tell us?"  
  
Percy looked down at Crystal then back at his father.   
  
"Can't think of anything at the moment." Percy said, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "Can you think of anything Charlie?"  
  
"Nope," Charlie gasped as he collapsed into laughter. "Not a thing."  
  
To be continued 


	4. Part 4

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.  
  
Author's note: Thank you again for your encouragement. You may have noticed that this story is classified as angst/drama. Well, here's where the angst really starts.  
  
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Crystal  
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Part Four  
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Charlie's laughter broke through the stunned silence. It was as though someone had cast the counter-spell for a freezing charm on the occupants of the room. Instantly everyone but Percy and Crystal started talking.   
  
"Why didn't you contact the family?" Bill was demanding of Percy.   
  
George was saying, "You must have bought her somewhere Percy, she's too pretty to be yours."  
  
"Oh, Percy she's beautiful," said Molly, while she cuffed George behind his left ear for the rude comment. "Another girl in the family. Ginny will be so pleased!"  
  
"Ginny!" Charlie laughed. "Mum, you're the one who wanted more daughters. So how's it feel to be a Granny?"  
  
"So small," Arthur said softly. "I'd forgotten how little young children are," Arthur smiled at Crystal who was becoming rather upset by all the noise her uncles and grandmother were making.   
  
The rest of the family was now having a loud discussion with Charlie. In true Weasley-interrogation style, Molly, Bill and George were demanding that Charlie explain how he knew about Crystal before they did. Their voices were getting louder and the arguments from Charlie were becoming sillier and sillier.  
  
Percy sighed. 'No,' he thought, 'they haven't changed a bit.' Percy held his frightened, shaking daughter close to him then calmly stood and left the room. Arthur followed quietly and closed the door behind him. He cast a locking spell on the door.  
  
"I think we have a minute or two before they notice we've gone." Arthur watched as Percy began making up a late breakfast for Crystal. "Can I help?"  
  
"Yes. Thank you, Father." Percy handed Crystal to Arthur and returned to the kitchen table.  
  
"You have given us all a shock, my dear," Arthur said gently to Crystal. "I think we've given you a shock too." Arthur walked around the room, making sure that Crystal could see Percy at all times. The little girl calmed down as Arthur continued his gentle monologue. Arthur wanted to bombard Percy with questions but years of working in the Ministry of Magic had taught him patience. So he bided his time and chatted gently to Crystal about the family clock and how a hand would be made for her.  
  
Within three minutes Percy and Arthur were climbing the stairs to Percy's room. Arthur watched his son place Crystal's breakfast on the battered desk. The irony was not lost on Arthur; a few days ago Percy's bedroom was like a shrine, dusted within an inch of its existence by Molly who kept it ready for Percy's return. Then, if anyone had dared to bring a tray of cereal, fruit and watered-pumpkin juice into the room they would have felt Molly's wrath. Now, Arthur suspected that Molly wouldn't care if all the gnomes in the garden had a mud fight in it, so long as Percy stayed home.  
  
Percy had opened one of his bags and was hunting fussily through the contents. Arthur thought his son was searching for something for Crystal, he soon realised he was wrong. Percy pulled out a thick wad of parchment out of the depths of the bag, then walked up to his father and silently took Crystal from the older man. The little girl clung so tightly to Percy that he had to loosen her grip on his neck before he could speak.  
  
"Father, I...," Percy blushed slightly, surprised at how difficult a simple statement could be. Especially a statement he had practiced time and time again in his mind. Percy busied himself by giving Crystal a piece of fruit and putting her into the cot. Then he took a deep breath and started again.   
  
"When I was away I thought about all the things I wanted to say to you, to everyone." Percy handed his father the bundle of parchment. "I get rather silly and pompous when I get nervous, so I wrote it down."  
  
"Oh, thank you." Arthur wasn't sure which was the greater surprise, the parchment or the admission of nervousness. The Percy Arthur remembered would never have admitted such a thing and certainly not to his father. Arthur wondered if he wanted to know what had caused such a change in his shyest son.  
  
"There might be too much there to read today." Percy looked rather embarrassed. "I had a lot of time to write."  
  
Arthur nodded his understanding of the unspoken 'you might not be able to handle all this at once'.  
  
"Will you be coming down to lunch?"  
  
"No, I think both Crystal and I need some more sleep." Percy watched his Father leave the room. At the door Arthur hesitated.  
  
"It's so good to have you home and safe." Arthur said quietly without turning to face his son. Then he left the room.   
  
'Safe'. Percy wasn't prepared for the maelstrom of emotions that hit him. It seemed almost as though the soft click of the closing door had unlocked something inside Percy's mind. Percy staggered while three and a half years of suppressed emotions ripped through him.  
  
He managed somehow to make it to the bed and collapsed onto it. He lay there, sobbing silently until eventually exhaustion took over and he fell into a dreamless sleep.  
  
To be continued 


	5. Part 5

Disclaimer: I own none of these characters, except Crystal who I've probably borrowed from somewhere else. The characters and the world of Harry Potter belong to people more talented and cleverer that I. This story is merely intended as a tribute and as a bit of silly fanfic fluff.  
  
Author's Note: Thanks again for the encouragement and the comments, both positive and negative. I can't remember if Penny father's first name was in the books so I've named him Roger.  
Mega-soppiness and angst warning.   
  
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Crystal  
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Part Five  
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"Is everyone ready now?" Arthur Weasley's frustration was showing in his voice, a rare event in the Burrow.  
  
"Uh, yeah, Dad." Charlie sat down on the sofa and levitated a large bowl of potato crisps and a tall glass of pumpkin juice onto nearby side table.  
  
"Uh huh," added George through a mouthful of hot cocoa. Bill and Molly, who were waiting anxiously for Arthur to begin reading, nodded.  
  
"Very well," Arthur fiddled with the parchments for a few moments then, when he decided Charlie and George had been punished enough for their childish behaviour, he began to read aloud.  
  
"Dear Father, Mother, William, Charles, Frederick," Arthur hesitated for a moment then continued reading, "George, Ronald and Virginia, Hello. Tomorrow is Christmas Day and I find myself thinking of you, my family."  
  
"Good of him to tell us we're his family," Charlie grinned.  
  
"How long is this thing?" Bill muttered.  
  
"Sssh!" Molly glared at her eldest sons.  
  
"I must apologise," read Arthur in a firm voice, "for departing England without warning or explanation and for any pain my departure may have caused: although my position in the family leads me to believe that I shall not be greatly missed."  
  
"Not missed?" Molly sniffed, "How could he believe...?"  
  
"Dear, maybe he will explain later?" Arthur snapped. Molly fell silent and Arthur sent her a silent, apologetic glance. Then he continued to read.  
  
"As a dutiful son I should explain why I left England. Penelope and I have discussed this and she agrees it is best that I tell you, even though this letter may cause our deaths if it were to fall into the wrong hands."  
  
"That's our Perce the drama queen," Charlie chuckled dryly. He sat back in surprise when everyone else yelled 'shut up' at him.  
  
"The first thing you should know is that Penelope and I did not have to get married. I am sure that Charlie, Fred and George will be disappointed to know that Penelope was not pregnant, nor was her father carrying a Muggle shotgun or threatening me with any or all of the forbidden curses. I wish the reasons for our marriage were that simple for I could face a such a dishonour with equanimity."  
  
Arthur sighed again. As much as he loved Percy he wished the boy would write in plain English. He read the next twelve paragraphs silently then summarised them, "Percy and Penny were engaged for months but didn't tell anyone because Roger Clearwater, her father, asked them to wait. Ummm... oh I see... Roger got into a dispute over land with a neighbour. The neighbour was a suspected Death Eater and decided to bypass the Wizard's Court and win the dispute his way. Uhhh... Percy and Penny were about to announce their engagement at the Clearwater's party..."  
  
"The one that was cancelled at the last minute?" Molly asked. Her husband nodded and Molly saw an expression of shock cross his face. "Arthur?"  
  
"The Death Eater's solution was to kill all the Clearwaters and anyone else with a claim to the land. Five of the Clearwaters were killed on their way to the party." Arthur closed his eyes for a moment then opened them and began reading Percy's words aloud.   
  
"The Clearwaters had been receiving threats for some time but this did not worry me greatly. When I was with the Ministry I was often threatened by Death Eaters, or possible Death Eaters, because I worked for Mr Crouch. The added threats from them because of Penelope were minimal in comparison.  
  
"As soon as Roger Clearwater and I realised our folly, Mr Clearwater put his own plan into action. He was determined that regardless of whatever happened to the rest of his family he would make sure that Penelope would be safe. His plan was that Penelope should go into hiding in Europe, however he did not wish for her to travel alone and unprotected. What he suggested was that Penelope and I marry immediately. He would supply us with enough money to survive comfortably for a year or stringently for two. Mr Clearwater's expectation was that he would work with the Ministry and the Aurors to catch the Death Eater concerned with the evidence they needed to stop the murders. Penelope and I would return once the culprit was in Azkabahan.   
  
"I was not happy with the idea of doing something so dishonourable and improper, even though the two things I wanted most were to be married to Penelope and rid of my Ministry job. I only agreed to the arrangement after a long talk with Mr Clearwater. Roger and I then persuaded Penelope and her mother that the plan was a good idea. Penelope and I were married very quietly on the night the party was to have occurred. The only other people present were the senior wizard who performed the ceremony, Professor Dumbledore, and Professor Moody as the independent witness.  
  
"As you know Penelope's parents were murdered four days after Penelope and I left England. Penelope wanted to return to arrange her parents' funeral but, after a long discussion, she agreed not to return at that time. I am glad that she did not return because I later found out that Penelope and I were accused of the murders. It was only the word of the celebrant that kept us from being hunted down by the Aurors.  
  
"Since then we have travelled from city to city, using magic only when it was absolutely necessary and living for the day. Our recklessness has meant that we will be parents earlier than we had planned, around June we believe. The Muggle Doctors are quite inaccurate with their predictions and cannot give us an exact day.  
  
"Father and Mother, I hope that we shall be home in England by the time our child arrives and that you may see your grandchild in person. If you are receiving this letter after my death, I apologise for disappointing you and hope you will understand why I left. Your loving son, Percival Weasley."  
  
Arthur sat back in his chair and stared at the ceiling. His mind was churning with imagined scenes of the teenage couple trying to survive in the Muggle world in an unfamiliar country. Why in the world had Roger Clearwater let the situation get so out of control? Poor Penny had paid the price for her father's stupidity.  
  
Molly was crying quietly in her chair. The thought of losing Percy as well as Fred had overpowered her.  
  
Bill gave his brothers a signal. Charlie and George took the hint and went into the kitchen to make a pot of tea. Meanwhile Bill used his charm to move his parents to the sofa. Bill watched his Dad click out of his daydream and back to the present.   
  
Arthur took hold his wife's hand and, comforted by his touch, she soon stopped crying. By the time the tea things were on the table, Molly had calmed down enough to gripe about the chipped mugs on the tray.  
  
"Let's leave the rest 'til later," Charlie suggested. He didn't need to read the parchment to know what had happened to Percy. He'd heard most of it from Dumbledore and Percy himself, six months ago.  
  
"I've got to head off tomorrow," Bill replied. "I suppose I could take them to my room and read them alone."   
  
"No," said George. "We need to read them now. Together. Or it'll be like when Fred died." Everyone winced at the memories George's words evoked and no one objected when Bill picked up the bundle of parchment.  
  
Percy would have been surprised to learn that his family wanted to hear what he had to say. He would have been even more surprised at the reaction his family had to his words scrawled messily across a small piece of parchment. Words that were written so messily that Bill had to cast a spell to decipher them.  
  
"Penelope's dead. My beautiful girl's gone and I can't even bury her. I never knew anything could hurt as much as this. Why did she have to die? It should be me. I should be me lying in that muddy street. It should be my body waiting for the Muggle police to find it not hers. I promised to protect her and I failed. I always fail. Why didn't I stay there with her? Why did I run?  
  
"Her beautiful hair was in the gutter. She would have hated that. She always liked to look her best. I left her, Mum. I found her there and I left her.  
  
"I have to keep running. I don't know if the Death Eaters know about Crystal. The damn land's Crystal's now. How am I ever going to tell her that I left her mother dead in the street?"  
  
Bill stopped reading and looked at his stunned family.  
  
"I think I'm going to need something stronger than tea," he said hoarsely.  
  
To be continued 


	6. Part 6

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Crystal  
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Part Six  
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"I think you've had enough of that," Bill charmed the bottle of butter beer out of George's hand. George muttered mutinously at him but didn't try to recover the bottle.  
  
Charlie, who had taken over reading duties after Bill had begun swearing every third word, placed another piece of parchment in the Read pile. It was amazing how much six lengths of battered, stained parchment had changed the Weasley's universe. Charlie had thought he understood what Percy went through during the eighteen months since Penelope's death. Now, Charlie realised how naïve and arrogant that assumption had been.   
  
Hearing Percy's raw brother's emotions as he fought for survival and sanity had been harrowing. But the three attempts Percy had made to leave Crystal with Muggle families had been heartbreaking. Each time Percy had got to the point of leaving her only to change his mind and run again. After the third attempt, only eight months ago, the family had contacted the Netherlands Muggle Authorities. Their 'social workers' had decided Crystal was 'at risk', whatever that meant, and attempted to take her from Percy. Percy had fled through Belgium and into France, where Percy's second last parchment had stopped.  
  
"Are we going to read the last one?" Charlie asked reluctantly.  
  
"Give it 'ere," George leant forward. "You sound like a frog."  
  
"No, George," said Molly. "I want to read it."  
  
The Weasley men all started arguing against the suggestion but Molly silenced them with a few well-chosen words.  
  
"Percy needs all of us to be strong for him. How can I help him if I can't read a piece of parchment?" Molly watched her husband and sons accept her argument. Part of her wished they wouldn't but that was the part that wanted everything back as it was when Percy was a schoolboy. Molly quashed the emotions and took the parchment from Charlie's outstretched hand.  
  
"Dear Family,  
  
"It's Christmas again. The third Christmas without you, the second without Penelope and the first with nothing to eat. Crystal and I are alive which, I suppose, I should be thankful for.  
  
"Last night I read the letter I wrote to you two years ago. The one that you'll probably never see, just like you'll never see this one when we die of cold in this bloody forest.  
  
"What prat wrote that letter? Was it me? Was I that pig-headed and stupid? I suppose I was. I still am. If I wasn't we'd be in a nice warm town instead of this run down shack. This place isn't draughty, it's got a bloody gale blowing through it. Merlin's beard, I'm starting to sound like Charlie.  
  
"Do you know what I thought when I read that Christmas note? I thought how well I'd copied her - that Prefect Percy Act that was always 90% MacGonigall 10% Percy. For some reason I didn't trust myself to do the job. I had to be someone else to do it. Makes me wonder now if Penelope loved McGonigall-Percy, Arthur-Percy - he worked at the Ministry, you know - or just plain Percy.  
  
"Problem is I'm not sure she ever met the real Percy. I don't know if I have either.  
  
"Boxing Day. He came this morning and I've never been so glad to see someone in all my life. He didn't stay long. Just gave me some food and told that the Thing that killed Penelope is dead. Why aren't I happier about that? Am I such a bad person?  
  
"He said I can go home soon. Question is, do I want to go home? It would be so easy to let him take Crystal home. To walk out into the snow and die. To forget.  
  
"I don't want to be a Griffindor any more. I want to be a meek little Hufflepuff. Being brave is too damn hard. I do want to go home but I can't because I'm not your Percy any more.  
  
"I'm sorry. These letters are all pathetic and stupid. Bit like me really.  
  
"Sorry, Percy."  
  
Molly calmly placed the parchment on the table and walked from the room. Bill moved to follow her but Arthur stopped him with a quiet, "let her be."  
  
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Percy looked out the window at the garden bathed in the afternoon sunlight. He had woken feeling refreshed and more at peace than he could remember. It was almost as though the last few years had been a particularly bizarre dream. If it hadn't been for Crystal he might have believed that none of it had happened.  
  
He was considering going downstairs when there was a soft knock at the door. When Percy opened the door his mother grabbed him in a rib-bruising hug.  
  
"Don't ...you ...ever ...doubt that we love you! Do you hear me?" Molly looked up at her son, her eyes full of love, pain and understanding.  
  
"Yes, Mother." Percy nodded solemnly and hugged his mother. Finally, he was truly home.  
  
  
  
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Epilogue  
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Percy ran the comb through his hair and turned to Crystal who was sitting on his bed.  
  
"What do you think? Does Dad look OK?"  
  
Crystal looked up at her father. She really wasn't sure about the way he looked. He didn't look like Daddy any more. His face wasn't fuzzy and his hair was all short. He looked sort of funny.  
  
"Silly Daddy!" she said firmly.  
  
"Silly Daddy?" Percy knelt down and tickled his daughter. "No, this is a silly Daddy."  
  
"Percy," his mother called from downstairs, "hurry up. You'll be late."  
  
Percy carried his giggling daughter downstairs to her doting Granny.  
  
"I'll be back before six o'clock," he kissed both Weasley ladies on the cheek before throwing a handful of floo powder into the fire.  
  
"Have fun!" Molly called after him. It was amazing how much difference three days had made to Percy, he was still too thin but he looked much more like his old self.  
  
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The town of Hogsmeade was bustling with Hogwarts students. No place in the town was busier than the pub.   
  
Ron and Ginny Weasley were fighting their way through the crowd in the pub. Hermoine Granger and Harry Potter were trailing behind the two tall redheads, all of them looking in vain for a free table.  
  
"There you are at last," Madam Rosmerta walked up to Ron. "There's a table reserved for you in the back right corner. You can't miss it."  
  
"But..." Ron said. His protests fell on empty air; Madam Rosmerta had returned to the bar.  
  
The quartet found the table easily enough. It was marked with a flashing magical sign that read 'Reserved-Weasley'.   
  
"You're sure you didn't reserve a table, Ron?" asked Ginny.  
  
"For the third time, no!" Ron glanced at the table and noticed that someone was sitting there. "They've got a cheek. That's our table, the sign says so."  
  
"Ron," hissed Hermoine as they neared the table. "Perhaps we should go. It could be a trap. What if it's someone working for you-know-who?"  
  
"Don't be silly, Hermione," Ron replied. "Besides Harry and I can deal with you-know-who. There's nothing worse than that."  
  
"I don't know," said the hooded figure. "George with a hangover is a very scary sight." Percy flicked back his hood and smiled at them. "Hello Ronald, Virginia. Hermoine, Ha..."  
  
"Percy!" Harry rushed past his friends and grabbed Percy by the hand, which he shook fiercely.  
  
"So," said Percy in his best Prefect Percy voice, "I hear, Harry, that you were involved in an altercation at Halloween. I take it that I don't have to punish anyone for you?" He gave the gob-smacked Ginny a stern look, which he then spoilt with a very Bill-like wink.  
  
"Uhhh, no thank you," Harry muttered. This couldn't be Percy, could it?  
  
"Percy, you're back!" cried Ginny, suddenly. She threw herself at her unsuspecting brother, knocking him off his chair and Harry off his feet in the process.  
  
Ron and Hermione looked down that the pile of limbs that was Ginny, Percy and Harry.  
  
"Must you be so embarrassing?" Ron muttered, hiding his excitement at seeing his brother again in nice, comfortable annoyance.  
  
"Face it, Ron," Hermione laughed. "You wouldn't change them for the world."  
  
"No, I suppose not." Ron sighed as the two of them helped the others to stand. "I suppose not."  
  
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The End  
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Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has commented on this story. I really appreciate the encouragement and all your kind words. Any negative comments were appreciated too, cheers, Kazza 


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